Contractors Feel The Pinch Of A Cement Shortage
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's building contractors should be busy this time of year finishing up projects before winter sets in. But for many of them, it's not a lack of work, but a shortage of concrete that's slowing them down.
Disruptions in the main ingredient - cement - means the vital building material is being allocated across the state.
With temperatures dropping and another building season nearing the end, E.W. Construction is eager to get concrete poured and framing started. But that has been a challenge, because the shortage is disrupting concrete deliveries and making it tough to schedule jobs.
Eric Wisner says his company has to shop around just to find it the concrete his jobs require.
"The other company I always go through told me maybe a week and a half until I get probably get concrete," Wisner said.
Luckily, Wisner and his crew found another concrete supplier. But he's not the only contractor feeling the concrete pinch.
"They'll tell you, 'maybe we'll be able to get you some mud and maybe we won't,'" contractor Darcy Voehl said.
Voehl had concrete jobs delayed all summer long. It wasn't for a lack of work, just a lack of concrete. Voehl says the problems began with a major cement manufacturer out of state.
"They had one plant down in Mason City (Iowa), Lehigh Cement, that's burned up. So I guess that really struggled and I think it's a lot of just getting transportation of getting it here," Voehl said.
The problem got worse with delays in river barge and rail shipping. The Mississippi was closed to barge traffic for over a month this summer as dredging crews opened up shipping channels that were closed due to flooding.
That's why ready mix plants around the state were put on allocation to spread available supplies around.
But the shortage is also adding to the bottom lines of construction projects.
"We're spending a little more money to get the concrete I need. Turned out that way for this job," Wisner said.
Voehl hopes to make it to Thanksgiving if the weather holds, allowing time to complete his scheduled jobs.
"Plenty of business and things to do, but now we're pounding on the door of Mother Nature you know. She's going to win the battle here shortly," Voehl said.
They can pour concrete foundations and slabs for several more weeks so long as the temperatures don't plummet. Voehl says he hopes the situation with cement improves in time for next spring's construction season.
Much like Gov. Mark Dayton acted on last winter's propane shortage, the Minnesota Aggregate and Ready Mix Association wants the same for the cement shortage.
On Thursday, representatives of the group will sit down with Dayton's staff to ask for longer truck driver hours and increased weight restrictions on Minnesota's roads. Both are intended to move more of the cement into the state and at greater speed.
